Text Adventure Chapter 76 Log

>Berry doesn’t seem to see it Redheart’s way.
>It might not be your place, but you have to try, at least.
>You kneel down while she’s looking away, and you place a comforting hand on her wither.
>She looks back at you with newfound guilt in her eyes as you begin to speak.
“Listen, I had planned on keeping quiet for now because of that whole thing from before, but perhaps it's time for me to weigh in here. We didn't ask you over here to judge you, not at all, but I think I should make one thing clear: What happened with Pinkie... well, nothing actually -happened- per se. I put forth a suggestion, but I also set out a ground rule that said suggestion was entirely contingent on Redheart being okay with it since, regardless of intentions, I didn't know how she'd feel about the situation… If you'll recall, Red was still quite upset with me for even suggesting that, and I got experience firsthand of how much pain something like this will bring. You’re our friend, Berry. We accept you for the way you are, but not saying anything to him about something like this isn’t right. We can't tell you how to live your life, but we're asking you to keep in mind that your actions affect other people as well. We're all in this together for the long haul.
>Berry takes a long moment to consider your words, having a profound effect on the way she thought about this.
>Even Redheart, originally very cautious about you taking part in this conversation, now looks at you with a sense of love and understanding, smiling proudly.
>But as all moments of clarity must come to an end, she groans and pushes your hand off lightly.
>”You don’t have to lecture me like a little filly, Anon. But… I get your point. Uuugh, this night was supposed to be fun!”
“At the very least, perhaps you should ask Iron how he feels about... you know... the two of you.”
>”Yeah, yeah. If this blows up, I’m blaming you two.”
“It won’t.”
>You have no idea if it will or not.
>Berry suddenly snatches Redheart’s fuzzy naval and downs the rest of it in one go, hands the glass back to her, and walks off towards Iron Will.
>You stand back up, watching her side by side with Red.
“You think they’ll be okay?”
>”I hope so. It wouldn’t be very good for us if they had bad blood, especially after the whole thing with Gable and the Windigo.”
>No, that wouldn’t be good at all.
>You and Red turn back and return to the pool table, which has already come down to the single 8.
>Spike’s not been doing very well if AJ’s caught up to tie.
>”Howdy, Anon. Ah’m just about to sink this here black ball and with it, all of Spike’s pride. Front row seats open!”
>Spike rolls his eyes and lowers his pool cue down onto the table, and aims very carefully.
>”Alright… This is for the big win, Spike. Gotta have the right angle… uh-oh.”
>”What now? Chickenin’ out, there?”
>Spike looks up at AJ with a grimace, then reaches for the chalk.
>”I just wanna make this shot count, okay?”
>Dragonsbeserial.wav
>With his palms and the top of his cue all chalked up, he lowers it back down, aiming once more.
>One practice lunge nearly tips the ball.
>The next takes the cue off of his claw and he has to restart.
>”Guh, c’mon!”
>Redheart smiles awkwardly at this display, and nudges you.
>”Gonna get a refill, be right back.”
“Alright. Take your time.”
>Red turns around to hide her laughter, then walks off as you return your attention and sympathy to this poor kid.
>One…
>Two…
>”YOU WHAT?!”
>Spikie falls over from the powerful manly yell and his queue strikes the 8-ball right in the center.
>It sinks into the center pocket, but there is no celebration as the three of you look over, as well as the rest of the entire bar.
>Iron Will is towering and arguing over a nonchalant Berry, and Gable has Pinkie in his arms to keep her from falling over, staying away from the two.
>”-Look, what did I say? I made a mistake and I’m sorry. I didn’t think it was something you wanted to know because I thought you already knew.”
>”Iron Will would not sleep around when he’s got a honey, honey!”
>”Well, sorry you feel that way, but I told you to let you know, because I’m not stopping.”
>Iron stares at her intently, but his anger seems to be subsiding for an unknown reason.
>”I’m not looking to settle, you know. I got a lot of time and I’m gonna need more than one guy. So if you’re not okay with that-”
>”Treat me like a pushover, you get the once over! As in, we’re over. You can give yourself all you want, Berry, but Iron Will won’t be there dealing with it!”
>”That’s fine with me!”
>”Fine!”
>”We’re still buds right!?”
>”Yeah!”
>”Wanna fuck to celebrate!?”
>”Palace or my place?”
>”Palace has the ceiling mirror.”
>”Ooh..”
>They walk out of the bar together, leaving quite literally everyone here in complete confusion.
>You look over at AJ and Spike, completely dumbfounded from the out of the blue incident.
“They might’ve… done some copulating with other ponies.”
>You said it that way to avoid Spike’s kid mind.
>He nods obliviously to pretend he knows what you mean, and looks over at the cleared table.
“Fuck, I won!”
>”SPIKE! Language!”
>”What? She said it!”
>”That don’t mean you get ta say it, it’s bad manners and-”
>”So what, we’re in a bar, someplace I shouldn’t technically be anyway-”
>”What would Twi think of what’s comin’ out of that there potty-mouth-”
>”-Besides I’ve seen and heard worse, I saw Anon’s junk today for crying out loud-”
>”And another thing, you- .. y-you what?”
>SPIKE, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BRO CODE!?
>You feign hearing a call from Red at the other end, but when you look over, she was beckoning you anyways.
“U-uhh, coming!”
>You quickly walk over to her and sit down, sweating bullets.
>”...So, what just happened?”
“...I don’t know. Maybe that’s how they make up.”
>”That’s... odd.”
“The pussy game ridiculous.”
>”Wait, what?”
>Gable and a more lucid Pinkie cross the bar and comes towards you.
>The gryphon then looks straight at you as he throws her onto a barstool.
>”Wanna tell me what happened there? I saw Berry talking to you two, then she comes over, and all hell breaks loose.”
>What do you say?



“Just trying to avert an emotional crisis, a maze of relationships. I'm not sure if it worked, but we tried…. Basically, Berry cheated on Iron under the pretense they weren’t serious, and then that happened. Let’s just leave it at that, since they probably don’t want it circulating.”
>Gable raises up 3 claws to the bartender and sits down with you and Red.
>”Now you guys know why I don’t have a woman. Too much trouble for my tastes.”
>Red looks interested.
>”Oh? You don’t have a sweetheart at home? Nobody?”
>”If you knew how my life has went up to this point, you’d see why I haven’t thought about it.”
>That keeps her quiet about the subject.
>A silence falls as the three of you are handed normal ciders, and you all take a sip.
>Gable quietly asks her for another glass of water for Pinkie, who’s still trying to stop giggling.
>Time to break that ice.
“How'd the arm-wrestling match go? Will might have you beat just barely on muscles, but I hear it's all about that wrist strength anyway.”
>”Tsk. I’ve fought and wrestled with minotaurs before, but Iron is something else entirely. I managed to get him a few times, but damned if my wrist isn’t a bulging pulp of blood.”
>Gable pulls the fur near his claw back and it is indeed slightly swollen and red.
“Wow. And how’s Pinkie?”
>Gable looks back over at her, and your eyes follow.
>She’s asleep on the counter with her water half-drank, sleeping soundly with a little bubble coming out of her nose.
>”She’s had fun tonight, at least. Big lightweight from how much I’ve seen her drink, though.”
“Well, you wanna grab a cue? If Spike or AJ are down for another game, we can play cutthroat.”
>Gable takes a big drink of his cider, then nods subtly.
>”Sure, why not. Might as well before we fly off into war.”
>That’s the second time he’s referenced the hive as being warlike, which piques your interest.
>Either way, the three of you get up, Gable picks up Pinkie, and you go back to the pool tables, where Spike’s being sit down by AJ.
>Looks like they’re not gonna be back for a while.
>Gable begins to set up the table regardless, and Redheart picks up her own weapon of choice from the rack.
>It is currently 9:00 P.M. after all is said and done.
>What would you like to do?



>Inspect Redheart’s Age
[Redheart is 24 years old.]

>Inspect ‘Gable’s House Price for Gryphon Kingdom’
[Last you checked, to get real estate in Reigetalon in the province he desires runs around 50,000 bits.]

>Gable sets up the rack and looks at the both of you.
>”So, highs, meds, lows?”
>”I’ll go high.”
“Low.”
>”Medium for me, then…”
>Gable pulls up the triad and lines up his shot to break.
“By the way, where did Gyro and Wheaties go?”
>Gable speaks as he aims.
>”They never went with us. ‘Bout halfway there, they said they wanted to go do something a little less outgoing or something, so they went to an antiques shop. Don’t know where they went after that.”
>For fuck’s sake.
>Well, at least they’re happy.
>Speaking of happiness...
“I don’t really remember much about my past. Some things come through here and there, but my existence is here in Equestria now. So, Gable. How exactly was your life before all of this, anyways? You told me bits about it before but nothing highly detailed. What’s your Jarl like, you said you wanted to live near him?”
>Gable breaks the table and sinks in the 2, 3 and the 11 by sheer luck, and looks up at you with a deadpan expression.
>”Jarl Graegar is not who I went to see, it’s my friend Gordrai. You don’t remember things very well, do you?”
“Er, sorry, you know what I mean.”
>Gable sighs and moves across the table to take his next shot.
>”Well, everything I told you before is about how it went. No parents to raise me, found an orphanage, got into fighting to get us food… fun times. I’d rather not dwell on details.”
>He takes another shot and sinks the 12-ball.
>”As for Gordrai, he’s a great fighter. Better than me, better than anyone in this country. Put him in a fight, and he comes out on top, period. Here’s hoping that your promise carries out and I get to see him, but you know.”
>Redheart leans in slightly.
>”You’ve never told us about this. I’d like to know more about you, if that’s okay.”
>Gable takes one more shot, but ends up sinking the 7-ball, so he trades it off to you as he starts going over a few details in his life to Red.
>You all start conversing about your pasts and exchange interesting stories from the time before.
>You find out Redheart had some stockholm syndrome early in her career and had some fun with one of her patients, but it didn’t last long.
>Gable… He’s been in some tough shit.
>You feel a bit left out not being able to remember your past, but the game flies by, you calling each shot to each pocket.
>...
[Used Call Shot 7 times.]
>Well, that sucked.
>You were in the lead for a little while, but then Redheart punishes your reckless calling by sinking your last two, and then Gable swept the both of you out, and he’s declared the victor.
>AJ, Spike and Pinkie had joined at some point, but now the game’s over, and the alcohol is starting to drain away.
>All in all, you guys have a lot of fun up to this point.
>Everyone starts putting up their pool cues as you look at the clock.
>It’s now 10:00 p.m, getting a bit late.
>”Well, ah think I’m ready to hit the hay, what about everypony else?”
>AJ seems to have the right idea, as you’re feeling pretty tired.
>What would you like to do?



>You stretch out a little bit, reassuring Gable from earlier.
“Don’t worry about that money, Gable, I’m good for it. If we don’t get enough by the end of our adventures, just have to wait four weeks or so and you’re good. Or, you can sell that expensive stuff from before.”
>”I never said you weren’t.”
>Right. Looks like it’s about time to head out.
“I think it’s time we headed back.”
>”Agreed.”
>”Let’s go get some sleep.”
>”Aw, I was ready for another round, teehee!”
>”I guess I’ll be going back to the library, then…”
>”Well, what’re we waitin’ for? Let’s hussle.”
>You gather all of the dirty glasses as the rest of them clean up and deposit them on the counter.
>Your party including Spike then leaves single-file, tipsy and happy as you all walk down the street to the palace.
>After a little small conversation, you slip back towards Redheart.
“Hey, babe.”
>”Hi.. Tonight was great, Anon, even if you got your nose broken and we found out two of our friends are weirdos… Definitely more interesting than my life’s been, lately.”
“I’d bet… So, tell me more about this patient of yours. You said you got Stockholm syndrome?”
>Redheart nods, sighing as she remembers.
>”It was a few years back, he had gotten his leg broken in a cart accident. His name was Blue Streak, and he was just the most amazing stallion. A pegasus, and fast. Won races all the time, a daredevil, really… Well, I was assigned to be his main nurse, and his words.. well, he was charming, let’s put it that way. Handsome, loving, kind… Mmm.”
“So, what happened?”
>Redheart stares at the ground as she walks.
>”Well, he got out of the hospital. We went out together for a few months, and I figured I would surprise him with a picnic one day. When I went out to his house, he forgot to lock the door, and… He was with another mare.”
“Oh…”
>There was one thing you always wondered about why Redheart got so upset about the polygamy incident.
>Not that it could be the prime reason, but that happening to her did not help chances.
“I’m sorry about that.”
>”It’s fine… It’s in the past now, and I’m with you. To be completely honest… I’ve had much more fun with you than I did him. I didn’t love him as much, either.”
>You can’t help but embrace Red right there, but it’s cut short by you both tripping over each other.
>She starts giggling at the misfortune as you steady each others’ balance.
“Sorry about that.”
>”Ooh, we’ve all had a little to drink.”
>You stand up, and suddenly call out to the group.
“Why’re we all being so quiet? C’mon, let’s sing something!”
>Pinkie sways and agrees with a happy tune.
>”Weee love to shaaare, and to caaaare~”
>AJ rests a hoof on her wither.
>”Don’t think he meant that, Pinkie.”
>”Well, Nonny should sing!”
>Spike snickers and adds fuel to the fire.
>”Yeah, let’s put those vocal cords to the test.”
>You know something that might fit the mood, but you aren’t the best singer.
“Fine. But you guys have to join in on the chorus after you hear it.”
>Gable starts chuckling.
>”Oh boy, he’s actually going to do it. Anyone got earplugs?”
>Redheart scalds him playfully.
>”Hey, he probably sings better than a birdbeak! C’mon, babe, let’s hear it.”
>Well, here goes nothing.
“Ooooohh, the night that Paddy Murphy died, is a night I'll never forget, Some of the boys got loaded drunk, and they ain’t got sober yet. As long as a bottle was passed around every man was feelin’ gay, O’Leary came with the bagpipes, some music for to play…”

>...
[spoiler]>”THAT’S HOW THEY SHOWED THEIR RESPECT FOR PADDY MURPHY,”
”THAT’S HOW THEY SHOWED THEIR HONOR AND PRIDE!”
>”THEY SAID IT WAS A SIN AND A SHAME AND THEY WINKED AT ONE ANOTHER,”
>”AND EVERY DRINK IN THE PLACE WAS FULL THE NIGHT PADDY MURPHY DIED!”
>”Hey, what are you freaks singing!? We’re trying to sleep in here!”
”HEY PUSSYLIPS, GO FUCK YOURSELF!”
>”Yeah, suck some dick, uh, dumbass!”
>”SPIKE, WHAT DID AH SAY BEFORE!?”[/spoiler]

>...
>You and your party part ways with the red-bottomed Spike as he sulkingly returns to the library with a letter to Twilight written by AJ.
>Each of you keep singing a different verse of the song, razing the very walls of the Crystal Palace with your cries of drunken fervor.
>Eventually guards stop you all and tell you to quiet down, but it was fun while it lasted.
>Finally, you all get to your respective bedrooms and say goodbye to each other for the night.
>When you and Redheart get into your rooms, you’re barely finished locking the door before Red’s armor is already off and she’s piled into the sheets.
“You okay?”
>”Mmmh, I’m just really tired… Come on to bed, hon.”
>Before you make a decision, you want to do something real quick.
>You pull out your phone and click on the videos app, seeing what you have so far.

-file1.avi (0:53)
-Berry and Pinkie: Mares Gone Wild.avi (6:49)
-Anon’s Bullride of Nose-shattering proportions.avi (1:01)

>There doesn’t seem to be any videos of animals on here.
>Then again, you have no idea what that first video is.
>You feel like you need to exercise with these cuffs, but there doesn’t seem to be anything here to use.
>It’s almost midnight now due to your party’s detours and drunken ballads.
>What would you like to do?